The triple option proved to be too much for Fresno State’s defense to handle in the 43-24 loss at Air Force.
Despite having two weeks to prepare for the triple option, the defense couldn’t get anything going. The Falcons racked up 340 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground and stuck with the rushing attack all game. In total, Air Force ran the ball 69 times and had only 3 pass attempts.
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Fresno State’s offense – led by quarterback Jorge Reyna – was unstoppable in the first half, scoring on every drive. Reyna completed his first 13 pass attempts in a row and was nearly flawless in the first half.
But the momentum didn’t carry over after halftime. The Bulldogs held a 24-22 lead as they entered the third quarter, but completely shut down in the second half.
The Falcons defense stepped up and held Fresno State to only 25 total yards in the second half.
To make matters worse for the ‘Dogs, Air Force linebacker Kyle Johnson picked off Reyna in the early part of the fourth quarter and returned it for a touchdown, sealing the victory for Air Force.
Reyna finished with 209 yards and 2 touchdowns to go along with the interception. Wide receiver Emoryie Edwards started off very strong with 4 receptions for 73 yards in the first half, but that was it for the young receiver.
Air Force dominated time of possession, controlling the football for 39:29 compared to just 20:31 for the Bulldogs.
With the loss, the Bulldogs drop to 2-3 on the season. They return to Bulldog Stadium Friday to face UNLV.
